An Edmonton man was placed under house arrest Friday after going from vandalizing an elementary school with obscene graffiti to stealing from his employer.

Simon Luchak, 20, was handed a two-month conditional sentence to be served in the community, to be followed by 18 months of probation, after earlier pleading guilty in Provincial Court to one count of theft under $5,000.

Judge Janet Dixon rejected a defence pitch for a conditional discharge -- which would have meant no criminal record if the terms were successfully completed -- after noting Luchak had committed the thefts while on probation after getting a discharge for his earlier conviction.

And while she accepted that Luchak's impulsive thefts were related to his recent diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Dixon found he had planned his repeated stealing and the diagnosis did not warrant a discharge in a case of theft from an employer.

"It is necessary that Mr. Luchak's criminal conduct be a matter of public record," said Dixon.

Court heard Luchak stole $1,600 worth of clothes on eight occasions while working at The Bay in Southgate Shopping Centre in the the fall of 2012 and when he was asked by police why he had done the thefts, he replied: "I'm bored. This was a cheap thrill."

In 2012, Luchak was handed a conditional discharge with 18 months probation after pleading guilty to mischief.

Court heard at the time that he was one of five young men who vandalized the Earl Buxton elementary school in Riverbend, using black markers to vandalize parking signs, windows and other surfaces of the building.

The vandalism included racist markings, such as a swastika and terms like "this spot reserved for white school staff" and "no nigs," and depictions of penises, one of which took up the size of almost an entire door.

There were also broken windows and court heard one of the group was taken to hospital and nearly died after cutting a femoral artery in his leg while kicking a window.

Luchak was also ordered to perform 120 hours of community service, pay restitution for the clean-up costs and to write an essay on respecting the property rights of others.

Meanwhile, Luchak is slated to be back in court on Nov. 21 for an application by the Crown to have his conditional discharge on the mischief conviction rescinded.

Edmonton man given house arrest for theft following vandalism

An Edmonton man was placed under house arrest
Friday after going from vandalizing an elementary
school with obscene graffiti to stealing from his
employer.
Simon Luchak, 20, was handed a two-month
conditional sentence to be served in the
community, to be followed by 18 months of
probation, after earlier pleading guilty in Provincial
Court to one count of theft under $5,000.